1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a punching device, a paper sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a paper sheet processing apparatus that performs certain post-processing such as punching processing for opening holes, by a punching device, on a paper sheet as a sheet-type recording medium on which an image is formed by an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus.
The punching device of such a kind of paper sheet processing apparatus opens a punch hole on a punching position in the paper sheet conveyed onto a die plate on which a die hole is formed, when a cutting end of a punching pin as a punching member penetrates the paper sheet from one side to the other side and passes through the die hole. The invention described in Japanese Patent No. 4401367 is known as the punching device.
The punching device of Japanese Patent No. 4401367 includes a discharging member discharging electricity on punch chips generated by opening punch holes by contact, in the upper end opening of a punch chip storing container for storing punch chips.
However, in the punching device of Japanese Patent No. 4401367, punch chips are brought into contact with the discharging member only by the weight of the punch chips. Thus, the contact resistance of the discharging member with the punching chips is high, which prevents electricity to flow easily between the discharging member and the punching chips. As a result, static electricity charged on the punching chips has not been discharged preferably.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a punching device, a paper sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus that are capable of preferably discharging static electricity charged on punching chips immediately after punch holes are opened.